


NC3: Triumph or Agony

by Humbae



Series: NC [5]
Category: Ylvis RPF
Genre: AU, Adventure, Angst, Gen, Suspense, Violence, h/c, nc
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-11-13 23:34:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18041237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Humbae/pseuds/Humbae
Summary: Anders and Nina are back.





	NC3: Triumph or Agony

The roar of the audience is a drug. It is as intoxicating as it is addictive. But it's not the admiration that they thrive on: it's the knowledge that they have affected so many people. What they say and do has had an impact, it has brought joy to others. That is the dream. That is what they live for. They are the stars that bring light to darkness.

But on the horizon, dawn looms.

*****

Bård's life was in great danger. He could feel his remaining years slip through his futilely grasping fingers, escaping irretrievably. He never thought the end would come this soon, with so many of his goals left unfulfilled. He never knew –

“Stop being so dramatic,” Vegard said to his brother who was coughing furiously after a failed attempt at swallowing. “I only said I wanted to try some ballet for the show.”

“Yeah, no, it's just the mental image of you in a tutu, falling on your face,” Bård said, wiping his chin. “Good TV.”

“Good TV,” Vegard agreed.

The brothers were slouching on Bård's new sofa, laptops and phones and tablets scattered around them on cushions that were littered with pizza boxes and used napkins. Their brainstorming session had been running for several hours now, but neither was ready to stop yet. They had set the task of writing a month's worth of material for their twice-a-week show, and they were only halfway done. Their ideas had gone on a distinct decline in quality, which could either lead to uninspired, dull minutes of television, or the birth of legendary classics.

“I really think they'll like it though. I don't exactly have a ballet dancer's physique,” Vegard said.

“I could of course master the art of ballet and work as a beautiful contrast to you,” Bård said, only half-jokingly. It wouldn't be the first time he'd taken on a physical challenge for entertainment. And succeeded at it.

Vegard snorted in response. He fished his tablet out from between two sofa cushions and started jabbing at it. Making notes, Bård assumed, as if he would forget his own suggestion. Not that they didn't have several ideas that had bloomed and fluttered away, too dull or too wild to even try to make into reality. He leaned lower on the sofa and let his mind wander while Vegard was busy capturing the fleeting comedy segment.

Their show was doing well. They had never expected to reach such heights of popularity as they had, but they enjoyed every moment of it. The culture of their upbringing emphasised humility and modesty, but their experiences during the past years had burned such notions from their minds. Life was precious and fickle, something to be wallowed in, not consumed in careful sips. Their nightmares had many names, but the shadows of the past were slowly fading away. Together they had poked and prodded the things that hurt, banishing them further and further. The lamps in their studio were the physical culmination of the lights they had shone on their monsters to make them disappear. Some days they were fully free, some days they only found solace from within each other's embrace, but every day they moved forwards.

Bård smiled as he imagined the laughter Vegard's ballet performance would inspire. The audience was a benevolent mass of faces, each person there to drink in their presence and reflect all their efforts back tenfold. He couldn't believe he had at first felt the need to shield himself behind the desk to feel safe from the greatest aspect of their show. Now he was comfortable walking around the stage, giving high fives when those were asked of him, and shamelessly flirting with every friendly face he saw. The audience was their companion, supporter and lover. Bård was made bold by their adoration. With the overwhelming power of the masses behind him, he could do anything.

*****

Vegard's ballet performance ended up being a huge success. He was clumsy, uncoordinated, and -- as the proverbial cherry on the cake -- he stumbled into a heap on the floor in the middle of a daring jump, accompanied by the highest pitch squeal Bård had ever heard from him.

Bård fought hard to keep his composure during his brother's prancing, going as far as to hide his face behind his glass of water when his mouth wouldn't stay under control. He did feel a twinge of worry when Vegard plummeted to the ground, but as he got up to roaring applause, Bård relaxed. Vegard seemed to be basking in the audible adoration, and Bård thrummed with pride. They had both discovered their element in front of the live audience, but not without severe hesitation and fear at first. Bård's own insecurities had nearly prevented him from even trying. How he would’ve regretted his cowardice had his brother not encouraged him to push himself.

“I don't know how we can ever top that... but here's our newest music video. It doesn't have my brother in a tutu, but there are green chickens in it,” Bård said and squinted his eyes as the studio lights dimmed. Vegard returned to his spot on the left side of the desk under the cover of darkness and the glare of the screens. He had already slipped back into his trousers and was now awkwardly buttoning his shirt. Bård managed the entirety of thirty seconds before he leaned towards his brother and helped him with the task. Vegard's left hand was still slow to respond and unwilling to handle intricate movements, but he got by. He didn't often ask for Bård's help, but neither did he refuse it when offered.

As Bård worked on the buttons, he noticed the scars on Vegard's bare stomach. They had faded a bit, but they still had the power to bring back more memories than Bård was comfortable with. Lifting his gaze higher, Bård's eyes met a wide grin on Vegard's face. Despite their hardships, despite the nightmares that still visited them regularly, they were doing well. Bård returned his brother's smile and patted the front of his shirt. Their video would be over soon, and he was prepared to receive the immediate reaction of everyone sitting before them. After some more or less friendly banter, they'd wrap up the show and go home for the weekend. Bård had no plans and no responsibilities waiting for him for two whole days, and he would enjoy them to the fullest. Laziness was something he couldn't indulge in often, but when the opportunity arose, he made the most of it by doing absolutely nothing.

The clip was nearing its conclusion. Bård directed his eyes towards the audience, waiting for them to turn their gazes from the screens back to him, but as he observed the mass of faces, he noticed that someone was looking directly at him already, ignoring the music video entirely. Before Bård had time to think about it, the lights came back on and the peculiar individual was lost in a sea of clapping hands and smiling faces. Caught in the wave of positive emotion, Bård forgot about the unusual behaviour and snapped fully back into performance mode. The climax of the episode had been reached and passed, and it was time to finish the show.

“See you next week,” Vegard uttered the final words before their band drowned all other sounds with their enthusiastic rendition of the theme song. Bård waved at the audience and danced like a lunatic. His brother joined him, grinning widely and gyrating his hips in a mock sexy dance that seemed to excite the ladies a little bit too much to be funny. The house lights came on and people started flowing towards the exit. Another show was done and it was time to leave the studio for the weekend, bodies tired but spirits high.

Bård wasn't overly fond of the theatre's labyrinthine backstage area. The walls seemed too tall and narrow in places, and each corner sharper than it should be. But on that Friday night, he barely noticed his surroundings as he followed his brother to change their clothes and make their escape. Sometimes there were fans waiting for them at the back door, and if they weren't careful, they could end up conversing with them for several minutes. Tonight, Bård wanted to slip by as fast as possible, dreaming of a fully stuffed kebab with greasy fries and mayo. Vegard seemed to take forever changing into his grey hoodie and black jeans, and Bård fought the urge to audibly tap his foot. Although his brother did have physical trouble with some tasks that required fine motorics of the hands, sometimes he was just plain slow.

“Come on, I'm hungry,” Bård whined when Vegard started folding his white shirt neatly into the laundry bag. Bård's entire attire was crumpled in one pile, complete with his dress shoes. There was a time and a place for meticulousness, and this wasn't it. Not when they'd had such a long week and when all that was separating Bård from a hot meal and his soft sofa was a quick ride in Vegard's new white Prius.

“Did you tell Aune where to put the copies?”

“No one cares!” Bård groaned in frustration. After a long-suffering look from his brother, he confirmed that all necessary information had been shared with all necessary persons, and could they possibly get going already.

Satisfied that their production would keep on rolling in their absence, the brothers headed towards the exit. The theatre had cleared from most people, and they made their way through the halls undisturbed. Bård walked first, both to set the pace and to work as a battering ram if needed. Vegard was much too soft when it came to adoring fans and by-passing them.

The late autumn night was dark and crisp when they stepped outside. It wouldn't be long until the first frost arrived. Bård was about to comment on the misery of the frigid wind when he noticed someone standing by Vegard's car.

“Did you agree to meet with someone after the show?” Bård asked.

“No, why?”

“There's a tall man by your car,” Bård said quietly. The brothers kept walking towards the vehicle, but they were on alert now. Something in the man's tense posture made their instincts spike and drive fear into their minds.

“Keep your phone ready,” Vegard whispered as they approached the man. “I have a bad feeling.”

Bård's hand stopped halfway into his pocket when they got close enough to see the stranger's face. Disbelief stole all feeling from his extremities and terror made his breath hitch. He was seeing a ghost, a nightmare made into reality by some malevolent deity. This could not be happening.

“Good evening,” Anders said, voice dripping with disdain, “took you long enough.”

Bård froze. His most urgent thought was to get his brother to safety, to protect him from this impossible threat, but his body wouldn’t move. He stood there in silence, taking in the twisted visage of the monster from their past. Anders was scarred and thin, and he didn't stand quite straight, but he was still oozing danger. Trying so fervently to unlock himself, Bård nearly missed the subtle movement behind him in the shadows. The parking lot was poorly lit, making it difficult to see which dark shapes were cars and which weren't. He turned around to take a better look, noticing his brother take a step forwards at the same time.

“Get away from my car before we call the cops,” Vegard said. Bård was shocked that he could utter anything at all, and with such steady menace in his voice.

“So you lived after all,” Anders said. His tone held no emotion that Bård could read, only cold indifference that was probably hiding a world of hate and bitterness. He shuffled closer to his brother.

“Better than you,” Vegard countered. “We've made something of our lives. You're still nothing.”

“You never did understand anything,” Anders said, dismissing Vegard in a sweeping motion of his hand. But Vegard would not be ignored.

“We're not afraid of you anymore.” He pulled himself up to his full height and drew his shoulders back. His hands were in fists and his knees slightly bent. He looked ready to pounce at the smallest provocation.

Bård admired his brother's courage and struggled to match it. His stance was less erect than Vegard's and his limbs unsteady, but he tried to hide how terrified he was. Luckily no one was paying him any attention. Anders and Vegard were staring at each other, cold blue eyes digging into brown, neither giving an inch.

“Nice try,” Anders said and rushed forwards. Bård watched in impotent horror as Anders rammed into Vegard with as much strength as his wasted body could muster. Vegard braced himself for the impact, but his slighter frame couldn't counter the momentum. The two ended up on the ground in a rapidly moving tangle of limbs.

Bård realised his mistake in observing solely his brother when a hand grabbed his shoulder and yanked him backwards over a waiting leg, sending him flying to the dark asphalt. The wind got knocked out of him as he landed hard on his back, and he struggled to pull in a fresh breath. He received no break though, as a heel dropped on his unprotected stomach. Gasping and coughing, Bård tried to curl up, but then fingers were entangled in his short hair, pulling him to one side. Bård followed the movement without any conscious thought and tried to get his feet under him. His hands reached for the assailant's, but the hold was suddenly released and Bård received a punch into the ribs, further hindering his attempts to draw a deep breath.

Pain stole Bård's mobility away. All he needed was a moment to recover from the blows and gather himself, but new jabs kept coming at him from every direction. As soon as a hit landed and Bård reacted to the area that was stinging, another came from another angle and impacted with a new explosion of agony. The relentless assault incapacitated Bård, numbing his mind and occupying his body. He couldn't fight back, couldn't observe what else was happening, couldn't engage.

“Enough,” Anders snapped, bringing the onslaught to a halt. Bård had ended up as a small ball on the ground, arms raised to offer feeble protection for his head. When the attacks stopped rocking him, his senses kicked in again and he heard someone's rapid breathing next to him, and Anders' laboured wheezes from further back. He couldn't identify his brother in the mix.

Sudden terror made Bård's eyes fly open and he rolled over to see where Vegard was. Anders and Nina were standing in the way and panic threatened to overwhelm him, but then he noticed his brother through a gap between Nina's black-clad shins, lying on the ground, his wrists and ankles secured with zip ties. There was duct tape covering his mouth too, and Bård wondered when all those had been applied. He didn't have long to ponder before Nina grabbed his arms and pulled them back, managing to bring Bård's wrists together with little resistance from him. Two sharp sounds of sliding plastic later, Bård was tied in a similar fashion as his brother. Anders approached him with a roll of duct tape, and Bård decided meek obedience would serve him best in the situation. A black woollen hat was pulled over Bård's eyes, leaving him at the mercy of the two people he feared the most.

*****

Bård rolled over on a cold, hard surface. The car ride had seemed unreasonably long, but the rational part of his brain reckoned they probably weren't far from the city, if not still within it even. He didn't think he had felt any great differences in elevation, but there had been many twists and turns. In his state of terrified disbelief, he hadn't even been able to tell which direction they had taken from the studio parking lot. As far as he was concerned, they were equally likely to be in Bodø as they would be in Bjølsen.

Anders and Nina had forced the brothers into a car, driven them somewhere, dragged them across uneven terrain – Bård thought it must've been on a path or a dirt road – tossed them inside a building, and left. Bård could tell he was inside since he felt no wind even though he could hear it whistling outside, and from the slamming of the door he had both heard and felt. The hat still covered his eyes, but with the help of his shoulder he was able to slip it up enough to see. His hands were tied behind his back and his ankles bound together, leaving him very little wiggle room. But even if he couldn't move, he could now see, and he sought his brother with his eyes. Vegard was on the floor a short distance away from him, busy trying to bring his hands to the front past his legs. He hadn't even removed his blindfold yet.

“Vegard,” Bård tried to say, only to be reminded of the piece of duct tape still muffling him. As he was unable to reach his occupied brother, Bård copied his actions instead and easily slipped his longer arms past his feet. Even the small increase in mobility made him feel more in control. He reached up and ripped the tape away, eyes watering from the sting.

“Vegard,” Bård said, clearly this time. His brother paused and tilted his head towards the sound. Like a worm, Bård wiggled closer to help him. Together they managed to remove their bindings through varying degrees of struggle.

Once Bård had managed to free Vegard and received a fierce hug in return, his concentration started to slip. The Bård from five years ago – young and unblemished and trusting – would've happily handed the entire situation over to his brother, but now he fought to stay sharp. Vegard had been hurt too, worse than Bård had, and his demons must be stronger. His bluff had been good earlier, but Bård didn't believe it for one moment. His brother was terrified too, but somehow he pushed past it. Bård could do no less.

“Are you okay?” Vegard asked. Bård paused to consider the question for a moment, coming to the conclusion that apart from his entire body hurting like hell, he was unharmed. Vegard confirmed the same, and they focused on studying their environment. They agreed that it looked like an old factory or a warehouse building of some sort, long since abandoned. It was dark and the temperature was lower than was preferable, although not immediately life-threatening. They would survive for now.

“Anders is alive,” Vegard said after the brothers had been sitting in silence for a while. Bård turned to look at him, trying to gauge how disturbed he seemed. He was met with eerie calm.

“That bastard should be dead. And Nina...” Bård allowed his sentence to wither into silence. The betrayal was still fresh. He had thought the woman could be a friend, and she had been. During the desperate days and long nights of waiting to see if his brother would survive or not, she had been a steady force by his side, not hovering but coming in when he needed her. He had trusted her explicitly, thinking he had discovered someone who truly understood and connected with him. How wrong he had been. Although Nina had never physically laid a finger on either of them, she had caused them more sorrow than Anders ever had. She had killed their cousin Hermod, and tried to murder them by burning down their parents' house.

“She should be dead too,” Vegard said. Bård didn't like the conviction in his voice.

“They're not gonna leave us like this for long, we should think about what to do when they return,” Bård said, partially to change the subject, and partially to actually prepare for the inevitable reunion.

“Offence or defence, I don't see any other options,” Vegard said. Bård nodded in agreement.

“Anders didn't seem healthy, but we can't underestimate him. And Nina is fucking lethal,” Bård said, fighting the urge to shudder. “We gotta run.”

“No windows,” Vegard pointed out, “and only one door.” Bård looked at the sturdy metal sheet. Its lock looked dishearteningly effective.

“I should take up lock-picking,” Bård muttered to himself. Not that they had any tools. Their keys, phones and wallets were all gone. His arm brushed against Vegard's and he wondered when they had ended up sitting so close together. Not that he minded, his brother's presence gave him great comfort and some warmth. It was his only consolation in the situation: that they had each other. Bård didn't want to even imagine how terrified he'd be if he was alone.

“Someone's coming,” Vegard hissed. Chills ran down Bård's spine. For all his bravado over the last several months since their misadventure in the North, he still wasn't ready for the impending encounter. He didn't want to see Anders again, and he certainly didn't want to see Nina, despite the small voice in his head that whispered of missing her friendship.

“Stay behind me,” Vegard said, ever the responsible one, even when Bård could feel him tremble. Refusing to let his brother pretend to be brave alone, Bård stepped up to stand by his side, facing the door as a unified front. The jingle of keys from the other side was maddening, and when the rusty hinges started creaking, Bård was relieved.

“So, you are alive,” Nina said upon entering. Her long blonde hair was pulled into a high ponytail, revealing silver earrings shaped like stars. Even in the low lighting, their metal glinted as the only bright spot in the room. Both Nina and Anders were wearing simple black clothes, complete with cotton gloves. Their family resemblance was heightened by the sparseness of their attire.

“Just to spite you,” Bård spat out. He was shaking too, but he took great pride in how steady his voice came out.

Nina snorted in amusement. The squint in her eyes was almost approving. She looked as if she was about to say something, but her cousin opened his mouth first.

“I didn't bring you here to chitchat. You're here to die.”

“Then why are we still alive?” Bård asked. He heard Vegard take in a sharp breath by his side, but the words were already released. He didn't know where his sudden defiance was coming from, but he was willing to ride the wave while it lasted.

“Because I insisted on privacy,” Nina said. She stepped closer to the brothers, her heels clicking on the hard wooden floor.

Bård had forgotten how tall Nina was. As she got closer to them, her slender but imposing figure meeting him, he tasted fear. She smelled of cigarettes and expensive perfume, a sickening combination that pulled unpleasant memories to the surface. Smoke spread by this woman had nearly taken their lives, but the more subtle aroma of her preferred brand of cigarettes made Bård recall the bleak days in Tromsø when he had welcomed the scent and the companionship it heralded with pathetic naivete.

“So who gets to be first?” Anders asked. The brothers stood side by side in front of him, unconsciously leaning against each other. Bård regretted not making an escape attempt the moment the door opened. They hadn't had time to discuss their strategy, and after they missed the initial opportunity, their chance had passed.

“You won't kill us,” Vegard said. Bård turned to look at him, surprised at the confident tone. Even though he knew it must be an act, he was still convinced. There was no more fear evident in Vegard's voice, no more hesitation. He meant what he said.

“And why is that?” Anders asked. The monster sounded amused.

“Cause we're not afraid of you anymore.”

Bård didn't dare to make a single move in the following silence. He looked at Vegard, wondering what his brother’s play was. Only his familiarity with Vegard's body language enabled Bård to see that his brother was petrified with fear. To a casual observer, his steady gaze might have held confidence and his tense posture cockiness. To Bård, they were signs of absolute, mind-numbing terror.

“Nice try,” Anders said, evidently seeing right through the bluff.

Vegard's shoulders slumped and he bowed his head, accepting his defeat and waiting for the punishment. But Bård had witnessed his brother getting pushed down too many times. Something in him snapped at seeing the submissiveness and he lunged forwards. Nina shouted a warning and Bård heard her take a step behind him, but he was already moving. He threw his body against Anders in a move not unlike the man's earlier one against his brother, knocking him on the floor. Having no plan and acting purely on instinct, Bård seemed to sense rather than see the open door. Anders and Nina had neglected to close it behind them, creating a path to freedom that Bård only now realised.

“Vegard!” he shouted, prompting his brother into action. Needing no other words, Vegard saw what Bård wanted him to notice and sprinted towards the unobstructed exit. Nina took off after him, but Bård was faster. He intercepted her and pushed her to the floor with brute force, hearing a yelp as she hit the hard surface. Bård didn't pause to observe her: he spun towards the door and ran after his brother, easily catching up to the dark shape visible against the gravel-covered front yard. Knowing that Anders and Nina would recover within seconds and come after them, the brothers headed towards the nearest trees, their only hope in losing their chasers. They ran silently, ducking deeper into the forest, away from the yard. There were no streetlights nearby, but they heard a rushing sound.

“River,” Vegard said and pointed. A stream ran by the old building, close enough that it had probably once supported whatever industry was practised within the brick walls. Starlight reflected off the gushing water, not allowing them to see how deep it ran, but at least they could tell that it was too wide to jump over.

Bård had no time to curse the obstacle, for he heard rapid footsteps crunching against the gravel near the door. He wished that they had managed to run deep enough into the woods that they were hidden out of sight, but his hopes were crushed when Nina shouted “there!” and her footsteps started heading straight towards them.

Unwilling to yield, the brothers kept running, abandoning caution in favour of speed. The river was on their left as they steered further away from it and the building. Low-hanging branches smacked them in the face and tried to tangle in their clothing, but their momentum carried them through even thicker bushes. The uneven forest floor seemed to rock under their rapidly pounding feet, threatening their balance. Vegard led the way, heading deeper into the woods where the denser vegetation would hide them and hopefully muffle the sounds of their passage. Their path was made treacherous by the darkness, but miraculously neither brother fell. Instincts and reactions sharpened by adrenaline guided their steps as they ran for their lives.

“Stop!” Vegard gasped and came to a sudden halt. Bård couldn't react in time and ran into his brother who tumbled to the ground. As Bård grabbed him and pulled him up, panting from the effort of running, he noticed why Vegard had stopped. There was a ravine with a rapidly flowing stream at its bottom, not a full metre in front of them. Apparently they had continued running along the river, only its banks had gotten very steep. A quick estimation in the dark yielded disheartening results.

“We can't cross it,” Bård said. Even if they could climb to the bottom without incident, the water looked too deep and violent to allow them safe passage.

Vegard cursed under his breath. Bård saw him look upstream and downstream, probably gauging their chances with either direction. They couldn't hear anything from behind, but they dared not take it to mean they had lost their pursuers. Nina and Anders could be closing in with every second they lingered.

“We gotta go,” Bård said. He briefly touched his brother's shoulder, gaining hope and strength from the familiar heat of his skin. Even in the chilly night, Vegard was sweating profusely, and Bård wasn't doing much better.

“This way,” Vegard said and pointed downstream. Bård didn't question the choice. He was fairly certain they had come from upstream, but he couldn’t tell for sure. Trusting his brother was easier. He turned his nose towards the black mass of bare bushes growing by the ravine and started jogging. His legs had already managed to stiffen in the brief pause they'd had, and accelerating himself into a run again was impossible. His brother appeared to have similar difficulties, and without words, they matched their speed to a spirited walk.

The brothers jogged along for several tense minutes. The scant illumination from the partial moon made each step treacherous, draining their energy due to the intense concentration they had to maintain. As the night progressed and they kept on moving, Bård found his focus slipping. Luck had kept them on their feet and he came to depend on it, so blindly that when the ground crumbled underneath him and he plummeted towards the rapids at the bottom, he was surprised to the point of denial. Freezing water engulfed his ankles and knees, and reality came rushing in.

“Fuck!” Bård screamed. A small flock of birds took to wing from a nearby tree. He scrambled towards the embankment, managing to slip onto his knees, drenching his arms all the way up to his elbows as he caught his fall. He saw Vegard descending the rocky cliff, sending a miniature avalanche of pebbles down. Soon a steady hand grabbed Bård's upper arm and pulled him up. Bård noticed with sudden bitterness that Vegard had been careful to not step into the water, keeping his own feet dry as he dragged Bård up to solid land. He regretted his selfish spite as soon as he saw Vegard's worried eyes in the reflected light of the moon. It was only logical and sensible that he hadn't dived in after his brother like an idiot.

“Keep your voice down,” Vegard whispered. Bård considered the caution misplaced. If Anders and Nina were within hearing distance, they’d be aware of their presence by now.

“How far are we from the city?” Bård asked. He didn't whisper.

“I don't know,” Vegard replied very softly. “Your shoes are wet.”

“No shit. Fucking freezing.”

“We gotta keep moving,” Vegard said, more strongly this time.

“Can you?” Bård asked. His brother looked wan and weary, ready to collapse at any moment, not fit for sprinting through the forest.

“Can _you_?” Vegard countered. Bård had to concede the point. Although the temperature wasn't dangerously low, his wet feet would be a source of great discomfort and danger in the form of worse grip on the ground. Cursing his stupidity and clumsiness in falling into the stream, Bård started moving again. The freezing dip had given him a kick of energy – or desperation – and he found his feet easy to lift. Vegard struggled to keep up, but Bård chose to not slow down. His toes burned with the cold and running helped, Vegard could catch up to him.

“Bård! Wait!” Vegard shouted after a moment. His voice sounded more distant than Bård would've expected. He slowed his steps and focused on his breathing. Following the stream had gotten difficult. Bushes grew thick along the sides of the ravine, and trees so close together that Bård suspected they were planted. His eyes had gotten used to the darkness and he could now make out more than the general shape of the forest. He saw no movement that didn’t originate from them.

“How do you,” Vegard stopped to pant, “keep that up?”

“Frozen toes work better than steroids,” Bård said. His eyes met Vegard's and they grinned at each other, both too out of breath to spare a single exhalation for a chuckle. After a short break, they started moving again, this time admitting defeat in the face of lush nature and veering further off from the riverbank. Soon even the whisper of the rapids was lost and they were jogging through the forest guided by little more than faith. When they stumbled onto a road they were as much relieved as they were apprehensive.

The brothers waited for a moment before stepping onto the compressed dirt, looking around and listening first. They heard nothing in the silent forest, and saw no unexplained shapes nearby. Following what they considered to be the general direction of the stream, they hoped the road would eventually lead them to civilisation. Bård was starting to feel the first stirrings of optimism. His feet were still freezing, and hurting from the exercise, but they were on the right track towards safety now, with no sign of the monsters chasing them.

“We're gonna make it,” Bård said. He didn't know how far it would be until they ran into a car or a building, but good cheer was overtaking him.

“We're not out of the woods yet,” Vegard noted. Just as Bård was about to point out how literal the phrase was in their case, they stepped onto a stretch of the road that was lined by tall rocks on either side. Instead of going around the obstacles, earlier generations had decided to blast a pathway right through the rocky terrain. The brothers instinctively leaned closer to each other, walking in the middle of the road and observing the imposing stone walls flanking them. They were halfway through the passage when bright lights suddenly flashed on in front of them, momentarily blinding them.

“It's them!” Bård hissed. They turned around and started running, a fresh surge of adrenaline speeding their weary feet. They didn't get far along the road between the rocks when they heard the sound of an engine, coming from in front of them and approaching at a worrying speed. The brothers forced their bodies into a quicker pace, but the vehicle was faster. Their way was effectively blocked by a quad bike. The shape of the body in the tight black leather suit revealed the driver to be Nina.

Bård slowed down and turned around. There were no gaps in the solid rock wall to escape through, and the bike was getting closer. Behind them, the bright lights were also approaching. After his eyes adjusted to the glare, Bård could make out a car with fog lights mounted on its roof. A normal enough looking black sedan crawled closer to them, with Anders behind the wheel.

“Oh shit,” Bård said. Vegard nodded by his side. They had stopped running in the middle of the passage, trapped on all sides. Both vehicles were coming closer, as if taunting them.

“What do we do?”

“We... surrender,” Vegard said.

“What? No! There has to be some way out of this. Think!”

“Bård, they got us. And with your feet wet –“

“Fuck my feet! Come on, we can slip past Nina, that bike isn't wide enough to block us if we run on different sides of it,” Bård said with growing urgency. He grabbed Vegard's arm and pulled him, but the older brother dug his heels down.

“We can't run any further.”

“The hell we can't!” Bård shouted and yanked at his brother's arm, forcing him to move. He evaluated the space between the rock walls and the rumbling vehicle, and decided that Nina would not be able to stop them, confirming what he had claimed. Their window of opportunity was narrowing though. While Bård had pushed them both into moving, Nina had gotten dangerously close and Anders was revving his engine right at their backs. But Bård was not willing to surrender to the horrors that would await them if they allowed themselves to be captured again. He forced his body into a burst of speed, heading towards Nina’s right side.

He never saw the net coming. One moment Bård was running, arm stretched behind him to tow his brother along, all attention focused on slipping past Nina and disappearing into the night, and the next he was crashing to the ground, unable to move his limbs. As Bård tried to untangle himself, he heard Vegard dash past him, and he rejoiced. If one of them escaped, they'd be okay. Bård knew Vegard would come back for him, no matter what. He'd just have to endure until then.

“Shoot him!” Nina shouted. Chills shook Bård, and he recoiled when he heard the unmistakable sharp blast of a handgun.

“Vegard!” Bård screeched, but he couldn’t see his brother in the darkness anymore. Hopefully Anders couldn’t either, at least well enough to aim his gun for a second shot.

“Run,” Bård whispered, praying that his brother was unharmed and capable of getting help. He could face whatever was to befall him, as long as his brother was safe.

*****

Bård was hurting all over. Anders and Nina hadn’t been gentle dragging him inside Anders’ car, still tangled in the net and unable to put up much of a fight. It had been disheartening how short a time it took for them to return to the old warehouse, when to Bård it had felt like he and Vegard had been running all night. He’d been tossed in the basement of the building, in a surprisingly wide and relatively high room. A smaller cell had been separated from the main area by thick metal bars that ran from the stone floor to the concrete ceiling. Bård was grateful for the space. Had the room been any smaller, he would’ve felt serious twinges of claustrophobia. As it was, he only had darkness and the deeply penetrating cold to endure.

Anders and Nina hadn’t spoken a single word during the ride back or while they manhandled Bård down the stairs and into the cell. Their silence disconcerted Bård, but he was also grateful for it. He didn’t want to know what their plans were now that his brother had escaped. Their intention of killing them was clear and inescapable enough, Bård didn’t need to know the schedule. Instead, he wondered where Vegard was and how soon he would return.

Considering how quickly they had driven back to the warehouse, Bård figured Vegard would have a long trek ahead of him to reach any signs of civilisation. At least he assumed that no one had been within hearing range of the gunshot, since he had seen no lights of anyone coming to investigate. His mind tried to wonder whether Anders had missed the mark or not, but he pushed those thoughts aside. He had to believe that his brother was unharmed. That he was running for safety and not doing something foolish like trying to come for Bård without back-up. Anders and Nina had plagued their lives for too long, it was time to get the authorities involved and end the threat for good.

*****

Vegard stopped running. His chest was heaving with the effort of pulling enough air in his lungs and he could barely see through the splashes of colour dancing across his vision, but he was still free. With bitterness he thought about Bård who was with the captors. Alone, scared, vulnerable. He pressed his shaking hands against his side where blood was trickling out and down along his leg. The bullet had only grazed him, but the wound was wide enough to not have clogged on its own yet. While he didn’t consider the injury life-threatening by any means, it would still slow him down in the long run. And if he tried to find his way out of the forest and to the nearest habitation, the run would indeed be long. He was already exhausted and the gradual blood loss would sap his strength further. But that was still the safer option.

The tracks of Anders’ and Nina’s vehicles would be easy to follow on the dirt road. Vegard reckoned the abandoned warehouse couldn’t be too far, despite feeling like they had run for a long time trying to escape it. It burned him how they had been ambushed so easily, and Bård plucked to go with the monsters like he was docile livestock. But Vegard knew his brother. Bård would resist them until his last breath, going down kicking and screaming and spitting curses. But he would go down. If Anders and Nina willed it, Bård would stand no chance against them. Neither would Vegard, but he couldn’t leave his brother at their mercy. So either he would spend hours trying to get to the authorities with nothing but blind luck guiding his way, or he would go directly to his brother and think of a really brilliant rescue plan en route.

Vegard turned around and started back-tracking towards the dirt road.

In his panic to get away from the fresh danger, Vegard had run fast, but he hadn’t run far. After the initial frantic moments, he’d realised that Bård wasn’t with him. He’d continued anyway, fighting the urge to stop and find out what had happened to his brother. As difficult as it was, one of them had escaped and he’d be a fool to waste the opportunity it opened up for him. But now that he would be capable of capitalising on the chance, his brain offered him nothing. He couldn’t come up with any possible plans for when he returned to the warehouse that would lead to victory, to saving his brother and escaping.

Vegard’s energy was waning fast, but still his trembling legs carried him. He knew he wouldn’t last long, not without resting and doing something about the bleeding cut on his side. A bucket of water to drink and an energy bar would’ve been nice too. His inner compass -- usually so trustworthy and infuriatingly accurate -- was spinning uselessly. He couldn’t estimate the distance to the warehouse or his position in the forest. Thick clouds covered the stars and sunrise was unknown hours away. Had Vegard not been so exhausted he might’ve found the situation hilarious. Bård certainly would’ve appreciated the irony of Vegard the know-it-all so lost in the woods.

His steps dragged as the night progressed. Bård must’ve been at Nina and Anders’ mercy for hours now. Even that prospect couldn’t whip Vegard into greater speed. The wound was still trickling fresh blood down his side. He thought it should’ve had the good manner to seal itself by now, but no. The road was also unreasonably long. Had Vegard had the breath for talking, he would’ve given some choice words to the rough sandy surface. As his face met the dirt, he was initially glad for the chance to speak his mind. A short period of silence followed. When the words failed to come, Vegard realised he had blacked out for a moment.

“Give me strength,” he pleaded. Teetering on the brink of a deeper darkness, he pushed himself up on his arms and slowly stood up. The wound at his side gave a painful twinge, but it seemed to have finally clotted. He continued walking.

“I’m coming, Bård,” Vegard whispered. The clouds had dispersed and he could see the fresh tracks of Nina’s quad bike and Anders’ car clearly. He didn’t know which had carried his brother, but he was prepared to hate both equally. Filled with fresh anger, Vegard hastened his steps.

“I will kill them.” His vehemence startled him. In that moment, alone in the middle of the darkened woods, he truly meant the words. He wasn’t sure if he’d carry the determination to his destination, but he feared he would. All the pain from their past, and the promise of more in the future for his brother, it was unforgivable.

“Hang in there, Bård.”

Vegard walked around a bend in the road and stopped. He could see an even smaller path fork off from the main road, and lights shining through the trees in the distance. He didn’t need to walk closer to see the tracks to know that this was the warehouse. Stepping off the path and into the forest, Vegard sneaked closer. He saw both vehicles parked on the yard, pointed towards the road, ready to be driven away at a moment’s notice. There was no movement anywhere in the vicinity of the building. Vegard risked inching a bit closer. Since there were no windows, he couldn’t see anything inside, only the two faded light bulbs above the door. His heart ached to go to his brother’s aid, but his mind kept reminding him of the plan he still didn’t have.

Vegard looked at the dilapidated brick building. The hall they had briefly been in was large, but now he saw that there was a top floor too. It wasn’t tall, more of an attic for storing items long-term, not meant to be visited often. Outside, the red surface had holes and rusty gutter pipes running along the walls. Trees grew too close to the building, digging their roots beneath the foundations and tickling the rough bricks with the tips of their branches. Vegard squinted and tried to see the structure of the roof. Even in the low illumination, he could make out unevenness, dark patches where nothing stood between the interior and the cold night air. The first hint of a plan was starting to form in his mind.

Bursting through the front door would be disastrous. But coming in from above, where the cousins would hopefully not expect any danger from, could give Vegard the opening he needed. His first objective was to observe. Impossible though it would be, he would stay in the shadows, in complete silence, no matter what he saw. Whatever they did to Bård, he would hold onto his advantage and act only when he could guarantee success.

Full of determination and new vigour, Vegard circled behind the building, away from the main entrance. As he had expected, there was no back door. A pile of sediment had layered against the wall, climbing high along the tiles. Following the route with his gaze, Vegard saw a clear path from the pile to a small hole just beneath the roof, going via young trees and a gutter pipe. All he needed to do was to stay quiet and climb the height of the building.

Vegard flexed the fingers of his left hand. Whimsy had become his intimate companion: sometimes his hand obeyed every command, moving slowly and clumsily, but doing the task he demanded of it -- and at other times he got no response at all. In their daily lives, he could get by splendidly enough. Apart from his pride, no one would suffer if he asked his mother to sew a loose button back on his shirt or if Bård sliced an onion for him. But if he failed here, the consequences could not be reversed.

“Hang in there,” Vegard whispered as he left the safety of darkness. His sneakers made little sound against the ground as he crossed the yard from the edge of the forest to the building. The sky was semi-cloudy again, but he could see where he was going, and the dimness would help him stay hidden. He intended to be inside the building by the time the sun rose and cast its rays above the trees. Although he had heard nothing from Anders and Nina, he wouldn’t put it past them to occasionally check the outside of the building and the surrounding forest. Dangling halfway up the wall in broad daylight would be a precarious position.

Vegard’s desire was to hurry, but he quelled the impulse. Rushing would only make him careless, and he couldn’t afford to fail here. Moving with caution, he sunk his fingers into the sediment piled against the side of the building. The dirt was cold and moist but sturdy enough. Lifting his hands to grab a root growing out of the pile, he inserted the tips of his shoes into the soft mud and left the ground. He was relieved to see that the dirt held his weight without compressing or crumbling. Grabbing twigs and roots and anything solid enough he could hold onto, Vegard started ascending.

His hand cooperated beautifully during the climb. Vegard took a break at the top of the pile in order to rest and to plan his route. A gutter ran along the brick wall, drawing a black line across the red, all the way from the dirt he was sitting on to the small hole beneath the roof. The silence of the night was changing into the avian symphony of the morning. Vegard didn’t recognise the birds he heard calling, but he saw the sky take on a lighter shade of blue and he knew dawn wasn’t far. His side was stinging fiercely and his hand felt numb. The gutter seemed endlessly long, though in reality it couldn’t have been much longer than two metres. A taller man could’ve reached the edge of the hole and pulled himself up.

“Quit whining and get on with it. Bård needs you,” Vegard muttered to himself. It seemed to help. Planting his feet on the steep top of the sediment pile, he grabbed the gutter and yanked it hard. The old metal held. After taking a quick look around to make sure no one was watching, Vegard reached for the pipe.

Climbing the gutter was tricky but not impossible. He could insert his fingers onto the brackets easily enough, but finding a foothold proved more difficult. Taking support from the wall with the balls of his feet, Vegard pulled himself up with arm power alone. Sweat started to trickle down his forehead and into his eyes. He shook his head to sprinkle the droplets into the air, hoping to clear his vision, but only managed to plaster his unruly curls across his face. Cursing breathlessly, Vegard continued climbing with limited sight, feeling his way towards the opening, incapable of dangling on one hand long enough to wipe his face.

Finally, as the first rays rose above the horizon, Vegard reached his goal. He hooked his arm over the edge and rested for a moment in the relatively secure position before starting the process of squeezing through the narrow opening. He wiped his face and took a deep breath. The fit was tight, but he managed to climb through the hole by pushing on the outer wall with his feet and pulling with his hands. Going in head-first, Vegard saw the floor of the attic approaching fast but he didn’t have room to turn. Dust filled his nose and the rough wooden floor scraped his cheek as he tumbled down with little grace.

Vegard held his breath as the dust settled, listening. Had Anders and Nina heard his landing, he reckoned they would come to study what the source of the commotion was. Seconds ticked by, undoubtedly counted by Vegard’s new watch which had been taken along with all their other possessions, but unheard by him. He considered finding their phones first to call for help, but his priority was getting his brother out. Everything else would have to wait.

Crawling along the floor, Vegard approached the edge of the ledge he found himself on. He had assumed the building would have a solid attic, but there appeared to be only narrow platforms on either end, leaving the middle of the room open up to the visible roof beams. He really should’ve noticed it when they were held in the building before, but the darkness and the uncertainty then had dulled him. Unforgivable, Vegard chastised himself as he inched along. The room was dark, save for one lit torch by the door. He couldn’t see or hear anyone. If Nina and Anders were inside, they weren’t chatting at least.

Vegard stayed on the floor, waiting. Wooden stairs were fastened to the wall next to him. An easy way down, but if he climbed them, he’d be in full view of anyone in the room. Until he could be absolutely certain that no one was watching, he wouldn’t go near them. The structural integrity of the old timbre worried him too, but there was really no other viable choice on hand. If he was to go down, it would be on those stairs, so they had better endure. Settling in to wait, Vegard pressed his hand against his side. The fingers came away stained, but he didn’t think he was actively bleeding anymore. He just had to be patient now.

*****

A narrow beam of sunlight was tickling Vegard’s cheek when a loud clank roused him from a shallow slumber. He looked around, needing a moment to recall where he was. Peering down, he saw what had woken him up: a trapdoor on the floor where Anders was emerging from, followed by Nina. They said nothing as they headed towards the door, and Vegard flexed his fingers. As soon as they were out, his moment would come and he tried to prepare himself for action. Since he couldn’t see Bård anywhere in the open room, his only conclusion was that he was in the basement. Vegard hadn’t even realised that the building continued underground.

Nina’s hand reached for the handle on the door, and paused. “I still think this is a mistake,” she said. “We should not wait with him.”

“The other will come,” Anders said, in a tone that sounded dangerously final to Vegard. He would not dare to argue with it. Nina, however, had no such qualms.

“Exactly. Regardless of whether the other one is alive or not. You’re just creating an opportunity for escape. I said it before already, I’m not going to play one of your games.”

“Don’t forget what I have on you.”

“Really? You’re resorting to blackmail?” Nina laughed, a sharp, not in the least bit good-humoured exhalation. “I also said I’ll do as you want for now. But my protest has been made.”

“And noted,” Anders replied. With that, Nina went through the door while Anders headed towards the corner furthest from Vegard. A tendril of cold fear spread in him as he realised that the man needed to but look up and he’d see him. Luckily, Anders settled on the floor and pulled out a phone. The fear turned into rage. Vegard would recognise those golden covers anywhere. He considered sneaking down the stairs while Anders was distracted by Bård’s phone, but it was too risky. One creak of the stairs, one movement too hasty and he’d be caught with no escape. Instead, he waited, looking at the monster’s filthy fingers as they dug into everything personal his brother had stored on his phone.

The merry tune of Vegard’s ringtone startled them both. Luckily, any noise generated by Vegard’s involuntary jerk was covered by the music. He watched as Anders pulled the phone out of his jacket’s inside pocket and frowned at whichever name was on the screen. He swiped the call away, leaving them in oppressive silence. Vegard hardly dared breathe in fear of being heard. But Anders continued flicking through Bård’s phone and he relaxed minutely from full alertness to moderate vigilance. He knew his brother had a passcode that locked his phone. The fact that Anders had access to it meant that Bård must’ve given it to him. Vegard reckoned it hadn’t been willingly. Anxious to find his brother, Vegard tried to make Anders leave with the power of his mind, but the man sat still in his corner. Had Vegard been on the other platform directly above him, he would’ve considered dropping something heavy on the man’s head.

The next interruption finally offered Vegard a chance to change position. Anders slipped the phone inside his jacket and stood up slowly, taking his time to pull himself up while holding onto the wall for support. As he reached for the door, he was already unzipping his pants. Knowing that his window of opportunity would be tight, Vegard jumped up and was on the first step before the door had finished closing behind Anders. There was some give in the wooden stairs but Vegard dashed down without stopping to make sure they would hold. Either they would or they wouldn’t, he had one chance to get down and only one way to do it. Unless falling down counted.

His feet hit the floor and he ran as fast as he could towards the trapdoor. If it was locked he’d be screwed beyond redemption, but luckily there was only a simple metal ring for pulling the hatch open, no locking device. Vegard slipped in, set his feet on the stairs below and turned to lower the cover. As he did so, he saw the front door open, letting in more sunlight. A pair of legs was shadowed against them, moving inside briskly. Vegard ducked, bringing the cover down with him, hoping that the brightness outside had rendered Anders momentarily unable to discern the movement at the back of the room.

After easing the wooden hatch into its place, Vegard paused to listen, trying to determine whether Anders was coming for him or settling back into his corner. When he heard no approaching footsteps, he pulled in a deep breath and turned around.

“Vegard!” Bård whispered vigorously. He was in a cage created by metal rods running from floor to ceiling in one corner of the basement. Vegard ran to him, wincing when his sneakers tapped against the stone floor. Had his dash across the wooden floorboards above made such a racket too? Had Anders heard it and was he now biding his time before coming after them? All doubts fled from Vegard’s mind as he reached his brother and hugged him through the bars. The metal dug into his chest uncomfortably, but his arms felt the warmth of Bård’s body and Vegard squeezed tight.

“Are you alright?” they asked at the same time. Chuckling softly, Vegard took a step back to assess his brother’s condition. Bård looked okay. Slightly dishevelled, and he had a few twigs in his hair from their run through the forest earlier, but he appeared unharmed.

“Did they hurt you?” Vegard asked.

“No,” Bård said.

“Really?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

“Anders was going through your phone. I know you have a passcode on it.”

Bård lowered his gaze and squeezed his hands into fists.

“Did they --” Vegard started.

“No. I’m so pathetic they just needed to threaten me and I gave the code to them. I would’ve given every secret I ever knew if they had asked.”

Tears were starting to form in Bård’s eyes. Vegard stepped closer and poked his hand inside the cell, meaning to give physical reassurance by touching Bård’s shoulder, but he ended up grasping the bars with both hands as a wave of dizziness overcame him. Bård was calling his name, but it was too distant to matter. His vision became fuzzy and took on a silver tint, narrowing into one small circle in the middle. Vegard felt his knees hit the floor and he might’ve uttered a yelp of discomfort, but it was all lost in the haze.

_Do not faint! Your brother is depending on you. Get up!_ the voice in his head was yelling, but Vegard couldn’t obey it. He slipped to the floor and lost what remained of his sight.

Bård was crying in the dark.

*****

The floor was rough against his cheek. Vegard attempted to turn but he was being dragged along. Trying to resist resulted in an angry hiss. It sounded familiar.

*****

Pain in his side. Cold. There was something he desperately needed to do.

“... unbelievably stubborn. And stupid. Did I say that yet? Doesn’t matter, I’ll repeat it again. As many times as is…”

Something was wrong. He needed to do something and was wasting precious time. But he couldn’t quite grasp it.

“Oh fuck, I think I hear them coming. Shh. They’re both up there. Please don’t come here. Please please please…”

*****

When Vegard came to fully, he was lying on the floor in front of Bård’s cell, pulled as close to the bars as possible. Three socks had been tied together and wrapped around his middle, with one sock balled up against the wound. It wasn’t a bad field dressing, served its purpose admirably.

“Are you with me now?” Bård asked. He sounded angry. Vegard didn’t need to be fully conscious to interpret it as fear.

“Yeah. Sorry.”

“If your idea of a rescue attempt is to faint at my feet, we might need a new plan.”

“Very funny,” Vegard said and sat up slowly. He still felt hollow, but at least his head was clear. “We gotta get you out of there before Nina returns.”

“Too late for that. I heard them talking, potentially arguing, and walking all over the room above, but they didn’t come here.” Bård was standing at the bars near Vegard, his stance signalling that he was ready to guard his brother if someone was foolish enough to try to take him away.

“Which one has the key?” Vegard asked. He stood up and studied the lock. Three bars had been cut at floor level and at the height of a short person, with a rough slab of metal welded to hold them together and to anchor the hinges. An ancient looking keyhole stood out on the metal plate.

“Anders put it in his left jeans pocket,” Bård said. Vegard didn’t need to ask if he was sure of it. Instead, he pushed the bars with all his weight to see if there would be any give near the top or the bottom where the bars had been cut. There was, but not enough for a fully grown man to slip through.

“I tried that already,” Bård said. “Can’t fit anywhere, no matter how much I wiggled.”

“Let me see if there’s anything to break the lock with,” Vegard said and turned around to study the room. It was unusually large for a basement, but the reason became apparent when Vegard explored it further. A long strip of metal ran the length of one wall on the floor, with levers and a rudimentary control mechanism at one end. Had Vegard been carrying any money, he would’ve bet the floor would open to the river below. Power source or transportation method or both, he couldn’t guess, but a spark of hope was igniting. If they couldn’t get out through the main door or the roof, perhaps this could offer an alternative solution.

Their immediate problem of the locked door remained though. He looked around the area, but there was hardly any clutter laying about. Whoever had cleared the basement had done a thorough job. Anders and Nina had left chairs in front of the cell with a low table between them, but the table was empty. Vegard walked over to a large desk by the control system, but a quick shuffle through the drawers came up with mouse droppings only. Undeterred, he kept searching through the room. Not much remained apart from empty filing cabinets and the oily traces of the large machinery that had been there years ago.

“If only I had my bolt cutters,” Vegard muttered as he returned from his explorations.

“If only my head was smaller, could just slip through,” Bård said. Vegard smiled with little mirth.

“Think we have no choice. We need the key.”

“ _I_ need the key. You’re free. You should run and get help.”

“No.”

“But that’s the most logical way, shouldn’t you agree?” Bård asked.

“I’m not leaving you at their mercy. Final decision.”

“Don’t be an idiot! How could you possibly get the key from Anders? By killing him?”

Vegard met Bård’s eyes. He didn’t need to say anything, for the feeling was mutual. _If they hurt you, brother…_

“At least come up with a plan first,” Bård finally conceded. Vegard snorted.

“Remember who you’re talking to.”

“Well I thought I knew, but evidently blood loss has made you reckless. What were you thinking, running around the forest like that?”

“I didn’t have --” Bård didn’t get to hear his brother’s excuses. Heavy footsteps approached the trapdoor and Vegard bolted. He ducked between a metal filing cabinet and the wall furthest from Bård. It wasn’t a good hiding place, but as long as Anders didn’t look behind the cabinet, he’d be concealed.

Muted sunlight brightened the room as Anders pulled the trapdoor open. Bård blinked in the increased illumination, meagre though it was. Only when he saw the corners clearly did he realise how dim the single light bulb hanging from the ceiling was. Worried that his brother would be revealed, he fought to keep his eyes away from the cabinet. He couldn’t give Anders even the slightest hint that there was something worth seeing there.

Anders descended the stairs slowly. He seemed to have nothing with him, but Bård knew he was carrying their phones, keys and a sharp knife tucked somewhere on his person. He didn’t know where the gun was, but it would be foolish to not assume it was with him. Even so, Bård hoped that Nina wouldn’t follow and Vegard would take the opportunity to attack Anders, but then he heard the sharp clicking of her heels on the floor above. Slender legs followed, stepping on the narrow stairs with infuriating ease. She was carrying a plastic bag in one hand, and Bård swallowed nervously. He didn’t want to imagine what they’d need supplies for.

“Thirsty?” Nina asked as she dug out a bottle of water from the bag. Bård tried not to show how desperate he was for it.

Were Vegard not hiding less than five metres away, Bård would’ve promised anything for just one drop. Now, he stayed silent, staring Nina straight into the eyes. She took one step closer, and Bård found himself backing up deeper into the cage where she couldn’t reach him. Nina sneered.

“Here, it’s all yours, just come and get it,” she said and held the bottle close to her chest. Bård didn’t move.

“Stop playing,” Anders said. Nina glared at him.

“Hey, I agreed to do this your way, I might as well have some fun. Not my fault you’re duller than a wet potato.”

“Just give him the bottle.”

“What is the point? Never mind, I said I’ll comply with your inane plan.”

Bård stood still and listened, hoping to blend into the shadows of his cell. When Nina and Anders were united, they presented a front that couldn’t be shattered. But divided, perhaps an opportunity could rise. He mentally screamed at his brother to listen, though he assumed the encouragement wouldn’t be needed. Vegard had no way to see the room, thus all he could do was use his ears. Bård doubted he had missed a single word or hint of inflection.

Nina slammed the water bottle down on the floor. Bård didn’t approach it until she had turned around and started climbing the stairs. Anders stood by the cage, his attention on his cousin. Unnoticed by them, Bård reached for the achingly normal blueish bottle and opened it. The first mouthful was the most refreshing thing he remembered ever experiencing. He took a large swallow, the water flowing down easily, revitalising his throat and perking his mind. He took care to only drink one fourth of the bottle, saving some for his brother, and some for later, no matter how much his body demanded for more. He didn’t know how long his captors planned to keep him, and to keep him healthy.

Anders sat down on the chair furthest from Vegard, angled so that he would see any movement in the room. Bård hoped the hiding place wasn’t too cramped for his brother. He would’ve felt claustrophobic for sure, but Vegard enjoyed sitting in planes well enough, and those cockpits had no extra space. Leaning against the back wall of his cell, Bård looked at Anders. Their eyes met, and Bård was ashamed at being the first one to turn his gaze away. Anders occupied himself by watching Bård, allowing his body to relax and his face to go slack. Under the gaze, Bård grew more tense with each passing second. He was tired and stressed and hungry past the point of hollowness. Instead of the fear he should’ve felt, annoyance started to creep in.

“Do you wanna fuck me?” Bård snapped when he couldn’t take Anders’ empty eyes any longer. “Is that why you keep staring at me, you wanna stab me with your dick this time?”

Bård could almost feel the physical weight of the mental _NO_ his brother must be screaming. But that only urged him on, knowing that his brother was trapped and the only way he could get out was if the predator in the room left.

“I’d never do it with you. Someone with a soul as beautiful as his ass, sure, I could give it a go, but never with a piece of human filth like you. If you can even be called a human,” Bård spat on the ground. He found himself squeezing the bars in front of Anders, leaning as far forwards as he could. A vein throbbed in his temple and his heart was racing, but those were unimportant features of a body that could do nothing. His mouth was where his fury focused. “You’re a coward!”

Bård’s words hung in the air. The silence of the basement seemed temporary, waiting to be shattered by whatever Anders would offer in return. But he remained still. Seconds ticked by, evaporating Bård’s anger and energy. He leaned more heavily against the bars, his breathing slowing down after the outburst. He couldn’t hear footsteps above, or any natural sounds outside the stony prison. Defeated, Bård returned to the floor, withdrawing as far away from Anders as he could.

Without anything to measure the time with, the stillness became dynamic, moving them forwards within the lack of advancement. Bård tried counting seconds, but after one thousand seven hundred he lost track. His focus wavered, as did his optimism. What hope was there if the monster was made of stone?

“I gave you a chance,” Anders said, startling Bård out of his lethargy of defeat. “You could’ve saved your brother.”

Bård couldn’t prevent his eyes from flicking towards Vegard’s hiding place. It was the quickest jerk of the pupils that gave Bård no information. A knowing grin appeared on Anders’ face and Bård realised his error. With growing horror, he watched as Anders turned towards the filing cabinet. Probabilities and choices whirled in Bård’s mind, but he couldn’t determine whether Anders was bluffing or not.

“Vegard, run! He’s coming, run away!” Bård shouted, hoarsely at first but gaining volume as his despair grew. “Vegard run!”

Bård’s grip on the bars hurt his hands but he barely noticed. He expected to see Vegard jump out and fight the man approaching him, but nothing happened. Anders’ hand was reaching for the door of the cabinet, offering the only chance of escape Vegard would have from behind, but he did nothing. Bård was starting to think that his brother had fainted again, when finally he heard movement. Anders pulled the door open, and at the same moment, Vegard pushed the cabinet, making the metal structure fall over on top of Anders.

“Run run run,” Bård chanted, trying to will his brother to obey. But Vegard was nothing if not stubborn. He ran from behind the cabinet, limping a bit on stiffened legs, and crossed the room to grab the small table between the chairs. He turned around just in time to face Anders who had climbed up from under the collapsed furniture. Bård couldn’t breathe as he watched his brother swing the table with all his might against the much larger man. Anders raised his arms to block the attack, but the momentum Vegard had managed to pack into the blow knocked his arms against him as the wooden table made contact. Bård heard a sickening crunch, hoping that Vegard had crushed Anders’ bones, but as his brother straightened up, he saw it was the table’s legs that had broken. Still, Anders was stunned for the moment, and Vegard reached for his pockets.

“The left one!” Bård shouted, guiding the groping hands. Vegard came away with a keyring and he turned around to come free his brother. Bård saw Anders jump up faster than he could utter a warning, and reach for Vegard. But his brother was even faster. Vegard ducked just in time, reducing Anders’ attack to a brush of his curls. Rolling on the floor, Vegard jumped up on Anders’ left flank and kicked him. Anders blocked it without trouble, but Vegard didn’t stop there. While Bård watched in mute terror, his brother kept kicking and punching and dodging, moving with a fluid grace he rarely demonstrated. He seemed to be winning too, he had Anders on the floor and he was stomping on his soft parts, but then the knife came out.

“Vegard, look out! Knife!” Bård yelled. He gripped the bars tighter with his shaking hands, willing them to melt and release him.

Anders’ first thrust missed. Vegard jumped back in a beautiful arc, but fumbled the landing. He fell on his knee, breathing hard. Bård suspected his energy was completely spent now, and he was running on stubbornness alone. As such, he could not get up fast enough to dodge the next jab. He jerked himself to the side when Anders came at him again, but the weapon connected, leaving a long streak of red on the side of his bicep.

“Get away from him!” Bård screeched. His fingers were going white with the strength of his grip on the metal bars. “You fucking monster!”

Anders didn’t give Vegard any time to recover. He stabbed at his side, but Vegard rolled away, turning the potentially lethal thrust into just a glancing drag across his ribs. He kept rolling until he hit the side of the cell, impacting hard enough that Bård felt it in the bars.

“Get up, get up, get up,” Bård urged him. Vegard did so, but he was too slow. Anders came at him again, knife in hand, but chose to kick Vegard in the stomach instead. Bård heard the air whoosh out of his brother as he went down on his knees. Anders lunged after him, this time leading with the knife, but Bård could finally reach him. He smacked the hand holding the weapon aside, sending it clattering across the floor, safely out of reach. Anders turned on him in fury, but Bård retreated away from the bars, hoping that Vegard had recovered enough to capitalise on the distraction.

Vegard went after the knife. It had slipped beneath the fallen cabinet, but he managed to fish it out right before Anders came after him. Bård struggled to see behind Anders’ back. There were sounds of scuffle, and a few grunts, but the flurry of limbs in the poor lighting hid the specifics from him. Bård hung on the bars again, kicking them in frustration. He saw Vegard hit the floor and heard a soft gasp from him. Moments later, Anders was on top of him.

“Keep going, Vegard! You can defeat him!” he shouted, unable to do anything else but cheer his brother on. Maybe his words helped, or maybe Vegard found another reserve of strength, for he wiggled free from under Anders and kicked him in the head. The tall man toppled over, but wouldn’t stay down.

“Oh, come on!” Bård shouted as Anders climbed to his feet and grabbed Vegard. Bård couldn’t see the knife until Anders turned around. It was sticking out of his back, but evidently did little to slow him down. He hooked his arm around Vegard’s throat and pulled him tight against his body. With the blood he had lost earlier, and the energy he had already expended in the fight, Bård doubted Vegard could keep up much longer. He had to make a decisive move, and fast.

Vegard slipped limply to the floor, and didn’t get up. Bård gripped the bars tighter, silently begging his brother to rise. Anders was almost upon him again, reaching with his fists, but before he bent over, Vegard made a quick movement with his hand, and Bård heard a metallic clink. It was then that he realised that Vegard had noticed the fallen keyring and tossed it to him. Squatting quickly, Bård reached for the item on the floor. His fingers brushed the ring, but he couldn’t make proper contact. Anders was preoccupied with pounding Vegard against the floor, smashing his head against the stone, protected only by his arms. This had to end now.

Bård laid down on the floor and pushed against the bars. His shoulder was not happy with the pressure, but he ignored it and pushed harder, reaching with his fingers. Vegard whimpered in pain, perhaps losing consciousness. _No, don’t listen. The key. The key!_ Bård told himself, turning his shoulder to make it press even tighter against the bars. Finally, he managed to hook enough of his finger through the ring to pull it to him. He wasted no time before he inserted it in the lock and turned the thin metal.

Nothing happened.

With a shout of frustration, Bård turned the key again, more carefully this time, as gently as his shaking hands allowed. The audible click was music to his ears. He pushed the door open and sneaked out of the cell. Anders left Vegard lying still on the floor, and turned just in time to receive Bård’s foot in his face.

His head jerked back with an audible crack. Bård wished it was his neck, but suspected it was merely his nose or cheek bones. Either way, he didn’t care. Anders was stunned by the impact, he had to act immediately. Escape was first on his mind, but he realised they wouldn’t get far with Anders on their heels. He looked around, trying to find something to bind the man with. The answer was behind him.

Bård grabbed Anders under the armpits and dragged him through the open door of his cage. As he dropped him on the floor, Anders seemed to rouse enough to understand what was happening. Bård ran out and slammed the door shut, but Anders leaned against it. He needed to turn the key to lock the door, but with the large man on the other side pressing against it, he had to extend all his strength just to keep the door closed. He couldn’t free one hand long enough to complete the task.

“Vegard!” Bård shouted. “Help me!”

Vegard tried to lift himself off the floor, but immediately flopped back down. Bård realised he was on his own, and he wasn’t strong enough. The monster was inside the cage, all he had to do was lock the door and they’d be safe, but he couldn’t do it.

“Bård?” Vegard asked. He sounded confused, not fully there. How hard had Anders slammed him against the floor? Bård hadn’t noticed, and now he feared his brother was dying, and he couldn’t even reach him to comfort him.

“Vegard, I need you. Help me,” he said, voice strained with the effort he was putting into keeping the door closed. His arms screamed in agony, but somehow he held. He found purchase for his feet on the uneven floor, anchoring him in place under the steady pressure. He was prepared to cling on as long as his body allowed.

Anders must’ve realised that Bård would not be moved. He retreated to the back of the cell, never lowering his eyes from boring into Bård’s. Seeing his chance, Bård let go of the bars and reached for the key, fingers brushing the worn metal. Half a second later, Anders was running full speed against the door, bouncing Bård backwards but not out of reach. Bård scrambled back and slammed against the bars on his side, knocking Anders back on his turn. The larger man retreated again, and Bård knew this time the impact would be stronger. Trying to work more quickly, Bård reached for the key again. Anders was already running towards him when his fingers found a solid hold. His heart was pounding, making him unsteady. He had one chance to turn the key the right way and engage the lock, and he might be too late already. Anders charged, and Bård closed his eyes. He heard the click right before he felt the entire mass of the man smack into the bars.

*****

The door held. Bård looked up and saw Anders squeezing the bars like he had done before, shaking them with all his might and yelling obscenities, but the lock was closed now. Bård pulled the key out before Anders could reach for it and turned around to toss it into the corner. While doing so, he saw his brother lying still on the floor.

“Vegard,” he whispered. He knelt down and placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. Vegard was on his side, facing away from Bård. “Hey, you okay?”

There was no answer. Bård tried to remember what he had learned about head injuries on various first aid classes, but he was drawing a blank. Concussion bad, that much he knew for certain. The makeshift sock bandage around Vegard’s torso had stemmed most of the blood from flowing down his side, but Bård thought he could see some fresh around the wound. The ribs on his other side were bleeding too, but not badly. His arm was in a similar state of lazy bleeding. Not life-threatening on their own, but when compounded with dehydration, he wasn’t so sure. Bård looked around the room, spotting the plastic bag Nina had left in the corner behind the chairs. He dug around and found a couple of bottles of water. Vegard was not coherent enough to drink now, so Bård slipped his arms through the handles and wore the plastic bag like a backpack, taking them with him for later.

The bottles were easy to transport, but the same couldn’t be said about his brother. Although not of impressive stature, Vegard was still a fully grown man. Bård would have no hope of carrying him up the stairs, and certainly not through the forest, however far they had to go to reach civilisation. Anders was still screaming at him, having become completely unhinged in imprisonment. Bård ignored him and looked around for options. There were no windows, and only the trap door in the ceiling leading out. Unless…

Bård went to the metal plate on the floor. It was next to the wall and surrounded by what appeared to be its control mechanism. If it opened and led to the river below, there might be hope for them yet.

“Vegard?” Bård asked and glanced at his brother. Vegard seemed to be coming to, but very sluggishly. That couldn’t be a good sign.

“I’m just looking for a boat, don’t worry. You did most of the work, now it’s my turn to get us out of here.”

He looked at the fallen filing cabinet. It was made of metal, as were most modern ships. But it was also rectangular, which was not a popular hull shape. Bård had no idea if it would float, but it was the only even vaguely suitable vessel in the room. He grabbed it and dragged it closer to the metal plate. The control levers and gears made no sense to him. He tried to follow the chains and pulleys and shiny parts he had no names for, but he couldn’t figure out their purposes. All he knew was that there was a hinge on the plate and the unit next to it was connected to it. A sound from behind drew his attention.

Vegard was getting up. He moved slowly and cautiously, clearly in pain but not complaining. Bård lent him a hand and pulled him all the way up. Vegard staggered but stayed on his feet. The brothers leaned against each other, drawing comfort and warmth from the tangible presence by their side. But they weren’t safe yet.

“Are you okay?” Bård asked.

“Pull that lever,” Vegard said and pointed at a sturdy metal rod. Bård didn’t bother asking if he was sure, or insisting that he answer the question. He grabbed the rod and pulled, first with one hand, but when the lever didn’t move, adding the other. With a rusty screech, the old apparatus came to life. He watched as the metal plate slid open slowly at first, and then suddenly fell clean off. The splash came immediately after the hinges gave out, indicating that the drop wasn’t great.

“Reckon we can survive that?” Bård asked his brother. Vegard replied by sitting on the floor.

“Water below?” he asked. Bård didn’t like how weak his voice sounded. He patted Vegard awkwardly on the shoulder and peered into the hole.

“Oh. That’s not a lazy stream, you could call that proper rapids. Looks kinda deep though. Can’t see the hatch anymore.”

They looked at the cabinet, then at each other. With the temperature being as low as it was, they weren’t eager to get wet. Bård’s shoes had barely dried from his earlier dip in the stream, he didn’t want to repeat the experience yet. Preferably not at all, but if their vessel wasn’t seaworthy, there was little choice.

“We should go now, before Nina comes back,” Bård said. They didn’t know where the woman was, but since she hadn’t come rushing in when they were fighting loudly earlier, they were fairly confident in assuming she had left the building. Hopefully she was in town and planning to stay there for the rest of the day, but they couldn’t count on it. And since Anders hadn’t shot them, they also assumed she was carrying the gun. With a shudder, Bård offered his hand to his brother, but he failed to take it.

“Vegard?” At the nudge, Vegard slumped against Bård’s legs, losing his grip on consciousness. Bård cursed under his breath and turned to look behind them. Anders was sitting on the floor of the cell, staring at them in silent fury. Hopefully he was bleeding to death. Bård couldn’t finish the job himself, but neither did he want the man to survive.

He turned back towards the cabinet and tested the sturdiness of the walls with his hands. It wobbled as he shook it, but didn’t come apart. He wasn’t sure if it was even vaguely watertight, but for now, it would have to do. He lifted Vegard’s arms on his shoulders and stepped into the cabinet, dragging his brother behind him. After some manoeuvring and a couple of curses, Bård finally had Vegard settled on the bottom of the soon-to-be-nautical piece of furniture. He pushed it halfway over the edge of the hole and stepped in. Anders was laughing at them, but Bård ignored him. It was desperate and perhaps more than a little foolish, but he wouldn’t go through the room upstairs in fear that Nina was still there after all. She was too dangerous to encounter unprepared, especially if she was armed with the gun.

“Here we go,” Bård said and pushed against the control unit with his hands. The cabinet jerked forwards, hindered by their combined weight and the rough surface of the stone floor, but it did advance. When they were teetering on the edge, Anders fell silent. He probably realised that they were about to escape -- or smash themselves against the rocks below -- and he was still stuck in the cage. The key was in the corner where Bård had chucked it. He should’ve dropped it into the river where it would never be found again, but it was too late now, the shadows hid the key from view and searching for it would’ve taken too long.

“No regrets,” Bård said and leaned forwards. The cabinet slid the rest of the way and fell. Bård hunched down on the bottom and shielded Vegard’s head with his arms. Their flight was short and came to an abrupt halt. With a bone-jarring impact, the cabinet splashed into the rapids and immediately started taking in water. As Bård tried to bail the water out with his hands, he realised that they were moving. Clumsy and leaking though it was, their vessel still fulfilled its purpose. Bård looked over his shoulder and saw that the warehouse was a short distance away. A wide grin spread on his face, and he kept tossing the water out with greater speed, but he could see that the effort was futile. They were swimming low, his trousers were soaked up to the groin, and the water level kept rising.

Despite the rapid sinking, they managed to float further, leaving the brick building behind and out of sight. Bård had to stop the ineffectual bailing and lift Vegard’s head so that he wouldn’t drown. Mere moments later, their cabinet boat dove under a wave and didn’t come back up again. Although Bård was already wet, immersing himself fully in the cold water made him gasp for breath and lose the ability to move for a moment. He recovered quickly, the worry about his brother overriding his body’s discomfort. He fished Vegard out of the rushing stream and hooked an arm across his chest. Not the most ideal grip, but Bård didn’t have time to fumble for a better one. The current was overwhelmingly powerful and he wasn’t the strongest swimmer to begin with, all his focus needed to be on staying afloat and avoiding the rocks all around them. But even with his best attempts, Bård still felt his feet bump into hard edges. He didn’t feel pain, the low temperature took care of that, but he was worried that Vegard was receiving the same impacts.

“Come on, wake up, I can’t do this alone,” he said. Vegard lulled limply in his grip, half-floating and half-dragging him down. Bård wasn’t fully sure that he hadn’t breathed in water.

The flow intensified as the ravine around them narrowed. Bård was constantly pushing off the stony walls to keep from hitting them, his attention on their immediate surroundings rather than on what was up ahead. Had he raised his gaze and looked further, he would’ve noticed the place where the water suddenly disappeared. As it was, his first hint of the waterfall came when they plummeted over the edge.

Bård lost his grip on Vegard as he fell. He couldn’t tell which side was up or which direction he was facing, but he instinctively held his breath and waited for the splash. He sank quickly with the mass of water pressing him down, and hit the stony bottom. As soon as he found solid purchase, he kicked off on the smooth rocks and managed to swim up at the correct angle to escape the cascade of water. He gasped for breath and looked around, ignoring the details of the lake and the forest around, eyes searching for a mop of dark hair. Vegard was nowhere to be seen.

“Shit! Vegard!” Bård shouted. His cold body wanted to curl up and stop, but he forced himself to take a deep breath and dive. Opening his eyes underwater benefitted him very little with the bubbles and bottom sediment swirling around, but he could make out a shape that didn’t seem to belong to the natural state of the lake a short distance away. He closed his eyes and swam, lungs warning him that they would take a breath soon and he best get himself exposed to air before that. He gritted his teeth tighter together, willing his body to endure just a little while longer. His groping hands encountered something solid and he grabbed it, pushing with his legs against the bottom to launch himself upwards. As he broke the surface, he gasped and panted, blinking his eyes rapidly to clear them. The mass in his grip turned out to be his brother, but he was too still.

Bård swam to the shore, dragging Vegard behind him, going as fast as he could, ignoring everything else around him. His feet barely carried him as he reached the rocks and hoisted his brother out of the water. Settling Vegard on his back, Bård leaned his ear to his chest to hear if he was breathing. He had just lowered his cheek when Vegard pulled in a breath and coughed it out. There was no liquid coming out. Through some miracle of lingering consciousness, Vegard had not inhaled any water. Bård slumped in relief, all strength abandoning him. His head was still on Vegard’s chest, and he took great comfort in the rapid heartbeat thumping against his ear.

“I thought I lost you there,” Bård said quietly. He hadn’t expected Vegard to be lucid enough to hear him, but a shaking hand came to rest on his head.

“I’ll never leave you behind,” Vegard whispered. He sounded out of breath and exhausted, but he was alive. And decidedly not brain-damaged, as Bård had feared.

“You’re really alright?” Bård asked.

“Debatable,” Vegard replied. As Bård raised his head to look at him, he saw a wide grin on his brother’s face. He punched him playfully on the arm, but Vegard winced at the impact. Bård was about to ask if he had hurt himself during their rafting experience, but then he realised it was the left arm. Suddenly furious at the lingering injury Anders had inflicted on his brother, Bård got to his feet in one fluid motion. And sat back down when his legs didn’t hold.

“Take it easy,” Vegard said. He slowly sat up, grimacing as something pained him.

“Do we have any life-threatening injuries?” Bård asked, including them both in the query. His body was still too numb from the cold to alert him to any grievous hurts.

“We’ll survive. I think.” Vegard looked around, lifting his gaze to the sky, but the sun was hidden behind the tall trees, still not fully risen to its zenith. The forest around the lake was dense, preventing them from seeing anything but the outermost trees.

“We’d better,” Bård said and tried to stand up again, this time more slowly. His knees and shins ached from the impacts they had taken from the underwater rocks, but nothing felt broken. Bending down, he offered his hand to his brother. Vegard took it and allowed Bård to pull him to his feet. As he straightened, Bård noticed that the wound on his side was bleeding again.

“We have to do something about that,” he said and pointed at it. Vegard followed his finger and shrugged. If the first makeshift bandage didn’t hold, it was unlikely that another one would either. And they were out of socks.

“Let’s start moving, it’ll warm us up,” Vegard said. He took an unsteady step, staggering to the side before finding his equilibrium. Bård was by him in an instant, draping his brother’s arm over his shoulders.

“Shared body heat will warm us even quicker,” he said by way of an explanation, one that Vegard would accept. To himself, Bård could admit that the closeness felt comforting. Vegard probably didn’t need the help in staying upright, but Bård needed the solid presence of his brother to keep going. Together, they turned to face what Vegard told him was east, and started walking towards the sunrise, and hopefully, salvation.

*****

By the time the sun reached its midday position, Bård was ready to keel over and sleep for a week. After he ate a horse. And the cowboy that rode on it. And the cow too. Wash it all down with milk. And some chocolate pudding for dessert. And two large, juicy --

“You alright?” Vegard asked.

“-- melons,” Bård said and shook his head. They were somewhere deep in the forest, coming down in a steady decline. Bård didn’t remember climbing up a mountain at any point, but the terrain didn’t lie. He wished they were in the forests of Tryvannshøgda, approaching Oslo, but they definitely would’ve encountered buildings or adventurous city folk or the t-bane line somewhere along the way. And Vegard would know if they were there, after all the exploration they’d done since moving to the capital. But no, they were somewhere deeper, and potentially going further away from civilisation.

“Hungry?” Vegard asked with a grin. His voice sounded weak and he was walking slowly, leaning heavily on Bård, but his spirits seemed high.

“And thirsty. I could happily pour the water out of my shoes and into my mouth,” Bård replied. During their long trek, he had actually considered the option since they hadn’t passed any other sources of fresh water. He had lost his improvised backpack somewhere in the rapids, and only remembered it when they were too far to return and search for it.

“You’re disgusting. Also why haven’t you emptied out your shoes, can’t march on wet feet.”

“I did, but all the water from my clothes dripped down in them. Besides, I thought we’d be out of here by now. We’re not lost, are we?”

Vegard turned to look at his brother, angling his neck to upwards to catch his eyes.

“We never knew where we were in the first place.”

Bård had nothing to say in response. They trudged on in silence, descending the mountain or hill or esker or whatever they were on. It was relatively easy going, the ground was free of excessive undergrowth and the decline wasn’t too steep. The sun was warming them, even though the thick canopy blocked most of the direct rays. But Bård knew they couldn’t keep going for much longer. They were exhausted and dehydrated, and Vegard had lost a lot of blood during the course of the night. He was still mobile and lucid, but Bård feared he’d run out of steam soon.

“Should we stop for a rest?” he asked. The first response from Vegard was a tensing of his arm.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” he said, very quietly. Bård leaned in closer to hear better.

“I think it would do us good, we’re both tired.”

“Yes, but... “ Vegard started, falling silent again. Bård was starting to get irritated by his avoidance, until he realised Vegard was trying to tell him something he found difficult to say. Another gift from Anders, the shared experience of talking about things so honest they’d best be left unsaid. For Vegard, only time helped, and listening without hurrying him.

“I don’t think I can get up again if we stop,” he said. From the delivery, Bård knew he really meant it. This wasn’t dramatic hyperbole or lame attempts at comedy, Vegard was at the end of his endurance and only by continuing the motion he was already in could he keep going. Bård would’ve preferred to stop and sit down for a moment, but he lacked the strength to pick his brother up again if he couldn’t do it himself.

“Sorry,” Vegard whispered. Bård felt like slapping him, tears suddenly rising to his eyes. After everything they’d been through together, Vegard was ready to give up. He swallowed and focused on breathing evenly. He should’ve killed Anders. Damn his conscience and kind heart, he should’ve taken the life from that monster and vanquished the threat he posed permanently. The man was probably free from the cage already, and hunting them again with his beast of a cousin. At least in the forest, they were safe from vehicles and there was no way Anders and Nina could find them and catch them on foot.

“Is it too late to join the Scouts?” Bård asked, trying to take their minds off the current situation. “Then I could probably find the meatiest plant there is to eat.”

“A meaty… plant?” Vegard asked between pants for breath. “Do you think foxes grow on trees, ripe for the picking?”

“Wouldn’t it be convenient though. But I’d choose a fatter animal, like the badger.”

“Badgers aren’t fat. They --”

Both brothers fell silent when they heard the sound of an engine. Either they were close to a road, and possible rescue, or Anders and Nina had supernatural tracking skills.

“There,” Vegard whispered and pointed at a large rock that was surrounded by thick spruces, perhaps three hundred metres away. If they managed to reach it and slither under the branches, they’d be hidden from view and guarded by the rock on one side. The sound of the engine was coming closer, making their theory of the road less likely.

“Run,” Vegard said, lifting his arm off his brother’s shoulders. Bård tugged it back down.

“Don’t be stupid. We’re both going, or we’re both staying. This is not the time to separate,” he said, adrenaline making him sound angrier than he was. He half-ran and dragged his brother along with him, only the goal in mind. The spruces were so close, the perfect cover, but the engine was getting louder and louder, sounding like it came from behind the denser forestation in front of them. They would be cutting it very close.

“Move it!” Bård whispered, trying to force a bit more speed out of his weary limbs. He glanced towards the sound, seeing what was probably the vehicle’s front light blink through the trees. He didn’t look at it again.

When they reached the rock, Bård slid out from beneath Vegard, grabbed his upper arm and the waistband of his trousers and tossed him under the low-hanging branches. Vegard yelped but didn’t resist. Bård dove in after him, pushing him further in. When they hit the rock and couldn’t go any deeper, Bård turned around to see who was after them.

“It’s them,” he whispered very quietly. Between the spruces, he could just make out the quad bike and two people sitting on it. He trusted that the shadows of the thick boughs hid them from view, even when he could see out from the hiding place. Nina was sitting at the front and driving the bike, while Anders sat behind her, focused on his phone. They drove slowly, Nina looking intently around, but they passed without stopping.

Bård felt tension leave his body. They weren’t safe, but if Nina and Anders went far enough ahead, it was unlikely that they’d turn around and return. That would be their opportunity to slip away and walk the opposite direction as fast as they could. Bård wasn’t sure how long they could keep it up, but hopefully this short rest would revitalise his brother and allow him to continue.

“Are you ready to move again?” Bård asked. The sound of the engine was fading, though still audible. They’d have to be patient to not rush out too soon.

“No,” Vegad said, “but we gotta.” His mouth was set in a thin line, face pale but fierce. Bård would not have to carry him, pure spite would get him going.

As they waited, the roar of the quad bike never faded fully, and after a while, it started getting louder again. The brothers looked at each other, eyes large with fear. They didn’t think they had left any notable tracks, and since their chasers had passed by already, there should be no reason for them to return.

“Unless they’re going back to the warehouse,” Vegard whispered. Bård nodded. It was no longer safe to talk, as the bike sounded like it was about to reach them. They saw the lights first again, and soon the vehicle appeared. Anders was still looking at the phone, only this time he patted Nina on the shoulder and pointed directly at their hiding place. Bård felt his heart slam into faster rhythm and his breath came more shallow. This was not possible. They had escaped.

Vegard was fidgeting behind him, and Bård turned to elbow him on the side. Vegard ignored him and continued what he was doing. Only when he pulled off a small white sticker from the back of Bård’s sneaker did Bård realise what was happening. A tracker. Nina and Anders knew exactly where they were, had known ever since they kidnapped them.

“Devious bastards,” Bård hissed. “Run for it?”

Vegard shook his head. “We fight.”

His spirit was strong, but Bård found the idea of them offering any sort of resistance laughable. They were unarmed, exhausted, and in Vegard’s case, injured. But most importantly, they lacked the willingness to kill. He’d had the chance earlier, but he couldn’t take it. He had left Anders alive in the cell, and now they were in this mess because of it.

“Plan?” Bård asked. Nina cut off the engine and started walking towards them. Anders remained on the bike. From the angle he was sitting at, Bård saw that he still had the knife in his back.

“I’ll distract Nina, you run,” Vegard said.

“No. Try again.”

“Bård, we don’t have time for this. You have a chance, you should take it, and come back for me with help.”

“Okay, we’ll do what we do best: improvise,” Bård said. He saw Nina’s eyes clearly now. They were as beautiful as ever, and full of hate.

Vegard moved at Bård’s side, lunging forwards. As he passed, Bård thought he heard _love you_ but that was probably just Vegard’s clothes rustling. He quickly followed his brother, intent on facing their fate together. Be it triumph or agony, they would share it.

*****

Vegard managed to move swiftly enough to surprise Nina and tackle her to the ground. Bård came close behind and kicked her in the head. He didn’t feel right attacking someone who hadn’t attacked them first, but he knew it was only good luck on their part. What she had done in the past, and what she would’ve done in a couple of seconds if she’d had the chance, they couldn’t show her any mercy. And still, Bård hadn’t kicked her as hard as he could’ve. She rose quickly, pushing Vegard to the side and jumping backwards, out of Bård’s reach. Anders had managed to get to his feet and was staggering towards them. The knife had evidently done some damage to him, but alas, not lethal.

“I won,” he said. “You both broke.” Bård wondered if he was delirious, hopeful that he wouldn’t aid Nina in the fight. But Anders didn’t stop walking until he was by Nina’s side.

“This isn’t one of your inane games,” she said. Bård took a step closer to Vegard.

“To bend is to live. Only the weak break.”

Nina moved so fast that Bård barely had time to realise what was happening before it was over. She yanked the knife out of Anders’ back and slit his throat with it, cutting deep and wide enough to make sure he wouldn’t survive longer than a few heartbeats. As he went down, his face wasn’t twisted in pain but open with astonishment. His eyes never closed.

“And an axe gets rid of every tree,” Nina said and spat on the corpse. Bård was pressed against Vegard’s side, unsure how he had gotten there. As mad and dangerous as Anders had been, Nina was much scarier. She had no deranged game or code, she killed for reasons known only to her.

“Let my brother go,” Vegard said, shattering the silence suddenly enough to send two birds flying from a nearby tree. “I won’t put up a fight.”

“I will!” Bård snapped. He grabbed Vegard’s arm and squeezed it, anchoring his brother in place in case he got any stupid ideas like throwing himself at Nina. She looked at them without saying a word, the bloodied knife held loosely in her fingers. The image she presented was languid, but Bård would’ve bet money she was ready to pounce at any moment.

“Boys, relax. I’m not going to hurt anyone here,” she said, stepping over Anders’ corpse to come closer to them. The brothers pressed tighter against each other. Nina’s voice was light, kind even, but her movement was menacing in its lack of open threat. They couldn’t let her come within reach. She was still holding the knife, and she was uninjured and unburdened by a sleepless night. And they still didn’t know where the gun was.

Vegard slipped his arm behind Bård’s back and tapped his left shoulder blade. Bård barely stopped himself from nodding as a sign that he understood. Whatever was going to happen next, he was to go to the left. He didn’t need to wait long. Nina took one step closer to them, and Vegard jumped to meet her. He managed to surprise her and got a leg behind hers, tripping her towards the right. Bård realised that he had been directed away from the fray, but he’d be damned if he let his brother face her alone. While Vegard went for the knife, Bård straddled Nina, pinning her arms to the ground with his knees. She was strong, but Bård’s mass was sufficient to trap her, at least for as long as it took Vegard to grapple the knife from her hand. She started struggling immediately, and Bård had trouble keeping his balance.

“With me!” Bård shouted, but Vegard didn’t join him. Instead, he ran to the bike and opened the supply box mounted at its back. He rummaged furiously, and finally came back with the net that had been used on them earlier. Nina had almost managed to dislodge Bård when Vegard returned, and together they trapped her. She kicked and spat and screamed, but there was a length of rope attached to the net, neatly closing her in when they pulled it tight and tied off.

“Leave her and escape?” Bård asked, breathing hard.

“We can’t take that chance,” Vegard said. He was probably thinking about Anders too, and how Bård had stupidly left him in the cage. She was secured now, but that wouldn’t last. Bård shook his head and tried to think of an alternative. Nothing came to him.

“I can’t kill her,” he finally admitted. In the heat of battle, if he had accidentally snapped her neck, he could’ve lived with that. But taking a life in cold blood, even if it was that of this fiend, he couldn’t even entertain the idea, no matter how much he swore that he could.

“We don’t need to. Let’s tie her to a tree and come back with authorities,” Vegard said.

“Can we trust that to keep her?” Bård asked. “And how will we find her again?”

“Put that sticker on her,” Vegard suggested and pointed at Bård’s white sneaker. They’d need to take Anders’ phone to be able to track it, but Bård didn’t want to get close to the man, even if he was dead now. He stood there, arms wrapped around himself, unable to do anything.

“Come on, stay with me,” Vegard said. His voice sounded gentle, perhaps a bit patronising, and Bård’s pride pulled him out of his daze. He jogged to the bike to look for more rope, and found the gun in the box. He moved it aside in disgust, and gathered only what he came for, leaving the weapon there. Together they dragged Nina to the nearest sturdy tree and Vegard tied her to it, making sure there was no give in the ropes. Her hands turned an angry red, suggesting that the ties were slightly too tight, but Bård couldn’t find the tiniest shred of concern for her. So what if she lost her hands to lack of circulation, at least she couldn’t stab anyone then.

Bård pulled the sticker off his shoe and slapped it in the middle of Nina’s forehead. She tried to bite his hand, but Vegard had secured her neck to the tree as well, preventing her from moving under the threat of cutting off her airway. Bård turned around to see Vegard bend down to pluck Anders’ phone from his pocket. When he straightened up, all colour left his face, and he collapsed on top of the body.

“Oh shit, Vegard!” Bård shouted and rushed to him. He turned his brother around, relieved to find him breathing, but he was pale and unconscious. Dehydration, hypothermia, hypovolemia, hypoglycemia, concussion, something else, even deadlier? Bård didn’t know and that scared him. Anders and Nina were carrying water with them, and Bård returned to the bike again to grab a couple of bottles from the box. He drained half of one and fed the rest of it to Vegard, keeping his head elevated to make sure he didn’t choke. Vegard reflexively swallowed, climbing closer to consciousness but not reaching full awareness. Nina was cackling behind them.

“Shut up!” Bård snapped at her. He needed to get his brother to safety, but he wasn’t sure if he could manage driving the bike while holding Vegard’s limp weight. He tucked the second bottle in his pants and grabbed Vegard under the arms. He dragged him to their earlier hiding place, slipping out of Nina’s sight. Bård decided to give Vegard more water and allow him to rest for a bit, and then see if he improved enough to support himself. With Nina tightly secured and Anders dead, he reckoned there were no immediate threats apart from exposure. He positioned Vegard between his legs, and leaned him against his chest. The warm weight brought immediate comfort to Bård. He hugged his brother tighter and decided to rest his eyes for a moment. He would not fall asleep since he was their guardian, but he was too tired to keep his eyes open. Pressing his cheek against Vegard’s hair, he took a deep breath and relaxed.

*****

Bård woke up confused. His last memory was from what must’ve been early afternoon. Now the forest was flooded with the silver light of a full moon directly above them. He was sore from sitting against the rock, but not too cold since his brother was still leaned against him. Vegard woke up too and turned to look at Bård. Before they could exchange any words between them, a sound from outside their hiding place drew their attention. Bård could just make out Nina between the thick branches. She was awake and saying something, but they were too far to hear clearly. Her focus was on something they couldn’t see, head whipping around despite the rope restraining her.

“Don’t move,” Vegard whispered. He sounded terrified, pulling Bård immediately into full alertness. As they watched, a large grey wolf jumped on Nina, biting her on the shoulder. Its packmates followed, taking out pieces of her flesh, and tearing the net to shreds. The brothers sat petrified and watched as the ties around her disappeared, leaving her free but wounded. They still had the knife, but they feared she would escape.

The fear was ended when the largest wolf clamped its jaws around Nina’s neck and tore her throat open. She couldn’t make any sounds, but she lived a moment longer, fighting the pack until she had nothing left.

The wolves finished their dinner and left on silent paws. Only when the carrion birds arrived and started pecking at what was left of Nina -- and at the relatively fresh carcass that was Anders -- did the brothers unfreeze. They looked at each other with wide eyes, hardly daring to believe what had just happened.

“We should go,” Bård said. Vegard nodded. “Are you good?”

Vegard nodded again and got up, slowly but without hesitation. He even had the audacity to offer his hand to Bård, which the younger brother promptly ignored. They crawled out from beneath the branches and shooed away the birds. Bård kept his eyes away from the remains and focused only on the bike. He hoped it had enough fuel to get them to safety.

“Any idea where we are?” he asked.

“None whatsoever,” Vegard said with a grin. Bård found his exhilaration infectious. They were alive, they had the means to escape, and the monsters that had haunted them for so long lay dead. And they wouldn’t rise again this time.

“Well then, let’s go where the wind takes us,” Bård said.

“Did you just name this bike _The Wind_?”

“Why not,” Bård said. “Free as the wind blows.”

“You’re the dumbest,” Vegard said with such affection that Bård had to blink furiously for a moment. He turned the engine on and tested the throttle. Vegard wrapped his arms around his brother and gently bumped his head against his back. With a wide smile, Bård drove them towards the horizon where the sun was just starting to lighten the sky.

The darkness was passing.

**Author's Note:**

> And here we are. The end of NC. I had such a blast writing this trilogy in 5 parts, and would like to thank everyone who read and gave feedback. Couldn't have done it without you.


End file.
